Los Osos hires consulting firm to manage district

October 16, 2016

The Los Osos Community Services District board voted last week to contract with a consulting firm for management of the district. In the past, the district has had multiple problems with its general managers going through 16 in just 15 years.

At the Oct. 13 district meeting, the board voted unanimously to contract with Grace Environmental Services for $78,024 a year. The district had been paying Peter Kampa, its interim manager, $96,996 a year.

In addition to a saving on salary, because the district is contracting with a consulting firm rather than a person, it will not pay benefits and either party can terminate the contract with a 30-day notice.

In 2015, former board member Julie Tacker discovered then Los Osos CSD general manager Kathy Kivley had been overpaying herself. Tacker, a current district board candidate, informed the board and an investigation was mounted.

In January, the board allowed Kivley to retire following the investigation into her alleged misappropriation of district funds. The board hired Kively in 2013 after she falsely stated on her job application that she had never been terminated. Kively was previously fired from the positions of Atwater city manager and Clearlake city administrator, according to media reports.

Wow! How did everyone vote? How much will Peter Kampa be paid to end his contract? And… why the f**k make this change two weeks before an election? I guess that’s the way the incompetent versions of the LOCSD have historically operated. Gee… think of the money you can save if you have a high school student to build a robot that can manage the district.

To be fair, Kampa’s contract was extended a couple of times and the board let it expire Sept. 30. No payout and no renewal.

I wish the new board could have made the choice for GM since it is they that will have to work with this person/firm. Fortunately, it’s only a 30 day notice to get out of the contract and a new board isn’t married to a bureaucratic leach.

This is the same firm that manages San Simeon CSD. My experience as a member of the public, although limited, has been that they were responsive and helpful. I would expect the same treatment when they come to Los Osos.

There’s still some heavy lifting to do at the LOCSD; good luck to us all.